Here’s how to change the default font, size, colour etc of a new Pages document in Pages, so that every new document will have the style you want.

Here’s how to change the default font in Pages 5 (thanks to Elysia!)

I think I have found the best solution. You can set Pages to open a default template when you create a new document.

1. Open a new document and select the font settings you want (e.g. Times New Roman, Size 12) 2. Go to File > Save as Template. Save your template (I saved mine as “Normal). 3. Go to Pages > Preferences 4. Under the “General” tab > For New Documents, check off “Use template.” 5. Click “Change Template,” and select the template you just created.

Now each time you open a new document, it will use your template with the saved settings.

Here’s how to do it in Pages 4:

Open a New document

Select some text in the document

Change the font and color to what you want

Go to View: Show Styles Drawer

Click on the red arrow next to “Body” and & select “Redefine Style from Selection”

Delete all the text that you typed. Otherwise that text appears every time you open a new document.

Go to File: “Save As Template…” and Save the document as a name that is clear e.g. “100 black”

37 Responses to “How to change the default font style in Pages”

ON STEP 4 IT ASKS TO OPEN STYLE DRAW, JUST LIKE STEP 6 WHERE IT ASKS TO DELETE THE TEXT, WELL AFTER YOU’VE FINISHED WITH THE STYPLE DRAW GO BACK TO VIEW AND PRESS “HIDE STYLE DRAW” OR EVERYTIME YOU OPEN A PAGES DOCUMENT WITH THIS TEMPLATE, THE STYLE DRAW IS GOING TO OPEN EVERY TIME.

Whilst what you say will work it does not get over the problem of being able to change the default font. If you want to open another text box within the saved new template it will revert back to the original default font. Very annoying!

Does anyone know if it is possible to change it permanently as you can do with windows etc.

Once again, with another new MacBook Air and a lost Microsft Word key, i find Pages an infuriatingly complicated and not very useful word processing program, woefully behind Microsoft Word in ease and utility for someone who writes for a living. Now I have to buy the whole Microsoft soft Office for Mac to get a word cruncher that’s truly useful. I keep buying MacBooks instead of going bak to PCs only because the Mac has apparent immunity to viruses and other contaminants.

Actually, just click on “Update” (it’s in blue) next to where it says “Body” under “Text” (when you open the “Format” side bar on the right, with the brush icon). That sets your font for all “Body” text to what you selected, and you can update that as many times as you want.

“Why not just add an option in Pages Prefs to start Pages everytime with Font XXX and Size XXX?”

You mean, like Appleworks did? Right now I’m finishing up converting all my 16 years’ worth of Appleworks documents into iWork or jpg versions so I can upgrade my OS. I LIKE Appleworks. But I can’t upgrade past Snow Leopard because if I do, Appleworks will be broken. I would think it would be simple to set a default font for all new documents in Pages, but what do I know?

Agree with comments that this is an agonizingly labor responsive system. Should be able to select simple default formats and then just change when necessary. Should have a save and also a save as buttons on the bar above and not have to go to file. Apple keyboards should add a delete key to allow one key forward delete. Come on!

Agreed! This is a long workaround for something that should be built in. In fact I seem to remember that back in the ‘ClarisWorks’ days (1990’s) you could change the default font! 25 years later we’ve gone backwards.

Maybe this has been addressed, but still confused. I sometimes create documents in Pages on my MacBook Air with fonts I have downloaded. When I try to open the documents on my iPad, the fonts are changed to the basic fonts. None of my Mac downloaded fonts are shone. Very frustrating when I am creating a document on one devise and fine tuning it on another. Is ther a way to have all my fonts on both devises?

anybody know the best way to communicate to Apple that they’re complicating themselves out of business? In the old days (just a few years ago) you could set all formatting in any word processor from its preferences tab. What happened? Does Open Office work?

For years I have published newsletters with my old Mac and Pagemaker app. So simple, so easy, so user-friendly. Since I finally upgraded to the newest iMac, I’m having a miserable time dealing with Pages. Complicated, confusing, seems like it takes 3 steps for things that used to take 1 step. “Help” is no help at all and I am constantly on the phone to AppleCare. Even the techs don’t know half the answers to my questions! I long for the days when Mac was truly THE user-friendly computer. And I confess I have kept my trusty G4 to use when I just can’t deal with Pages anymore.

I think I have found the best solution. You can set Pages to open a default template when you create a new document.

1. Open a new document and select the font settings you want (i.e. Times New Roman, Size 12) 2. Go to File > Save as Template. Save your template (I saved mine as “Normal). 3. Go to Pages > Preferences 4. Under the “General” tab > For New Documents, check off “Use template.” 5. Click “Change Template,” and select the template you just created.

Now each time you open a new document, it will use your template with the saved settings.

This is absolutely ridiculous. All I want to do is change the default font in a template so it always uses that font. The method above doesn’t work. One simple piece of knowledge does. Select the whole document. Open the document. “Select All” in the edit menu. Make your changes. Save it as a new template. Why on earth did it have to take me an hour of frustration, fruitless searches and screwing around to make this happen.

I have tried this as well, it does not work and this is a cumbersome process. If Apple insists that we have to use pages they should make it work as well as Word and other processing systems. This should be as easy as a click of the button. Saving templates? really? this is not user friendly as a process or helpful.

I’m so very frustrated with the paragraph styles formatting in pages version 5.6.1. I have been using a mac for years now and have never had a problem with pages. All of a sudden it is auto formatting the font styles for me and I cannot turn it off. It is also not properly accepting new styles. Additionally, when I use the shortcuts to bold and underline text, then start typing it overrides my selections. I have been searching online for a way to turn it off entirely and cannot find the answer. Anyone have any suggestions?

I am using Pages 6.1 What happened to ability to change font size to portions of sizes: 11.5, 11.8, etc.? When I try a decimal value and hit return, the value jumps back to a whole number value: 11 (in the above cases). The older way with decimal portions workable, I could make material fit in places easier and more visually pleasing.

For Pages ’09, 4.3, the process is the same as Pages 5 EXCEPT when the Choose Template window comes up, any templates you’ve saved are in the My Templates folder at the bottom of the list. Open up that folder and choose your new template with the changes.